The trail up to the Routeburn Flats wasn’t too bad. Everything was covered in moss and ferns. There were some spectacular waterfalls. At the hut, we dropped off some of our gear. We forgot to print our tickets, but the warden took our names and radioed the information for confirmation. We then proceeded up to the Routeburn Falls Hut. This section was more strenuous than the first. The flora turned into beech forest. The terrain was steeper. The hut had a very nice balcony with great views of the Flats. We had lunch there. Above the Falls Hut, the vegetation changed into grasses and brush. We passed the lake and a series of waterfalls to reach Harris Saddle Shelter. A group of young people congregated there, soaking in the sun. We proceed to climb Conical Hill, which was very steep and rocky. Some parts required handholds. On the way up this mountain, my right contact lens dislodged. I met an Infectious Disease specialist from Baylor, now practicing in Dunedin, who helped me push the contact back in place. We reached the top and had afternoon snack consisting of bread and cheese. We could see Martin Bay and the Tasman Sea from the top. After taking some pictures and going to the bathroom, we descended back to the shelter and made our way back to the Falls Hut to shower in the stream.
At the Falls Hut, I went to bed early after having some dry food for dinner. I fell fast asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, I met some people—Pat and Anne Marie—from Tennessee. I told them that I was planning to go see the Great Smoky Mountains. They were excited, since they were involved with park activities. We exchanged information.
Leaving the Flats Hut, we headed down toward our car. Halfway to the trailhead, we met Carl and Rebecca again.
Beautiful hike in spectacular scenery!
